Madison Central reverses (some) controversial student parking fees

Ridgeland High School was built with the Pearl and Columbine shootings in mind, said Madison County Schools Superintendent Ronnie McGehee. On Tuesday, Mississippi's Senate Judiciary Committee pushed forward a bill to allow teachers and other staff members to carry concealed weapons.
Sarah Warnock/Clarion Ledger

Ronnie McGehee is superintendent of Madison County Schools.(Photo: File)

The Madison Central Parent Teacher Organization sent an email Tuesday explaining that student parking at the public high school would not operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Instead, the school would prioritize parking space selection based on the status of a student’s PTO membership.

PTO memberships for Madison Central High School start at $40 per family.

Children of PTO members, who had paid for a $500 membership, would have the first opportunity to reserve a space, followed by families with $250, $100 and $40 memberships respectively.

Although residents in Madison County earn the state’s highest median income, poverty affects 12 percent of the county’s families, and 20 percent of students enrolled in Madison Central receive free or reduced-price lunch.

Rep. Cory Wilson, a Madison Republican, spoke against the proposed policy on social media and reached out to the district about his concerns.

"I'm a huge supporter of our Madison County Public Schools, but selling off "first dibs" for parking places to the highest PTO bidders is a bad idea," Wilson said in a Facebook post. "Madison Central parents who pay taxes have already contributed enough."

When the Clarion Ledger asked about the proposal Wednesday morning, Madison County Superintendent Ronnie McGehee said the matter was under review.

Calls and an email to the school's PTO President Adelene Killens were not immediately returned.

The district later put out a statement saying it had “updated” the school’s parking procedures to allow any PTO member, “regardless of membership level, to register their students’ cars and select assigned parking places in advance of non-members.”